Adjustable mounting for artificial eyes



Dec. 15, 1925- 1,566,105"

A. KONOFF ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING FOR ARTIFICIAL EYES Filed March l9 1924 avwentoz a -61w v w. JWQ I Patented Dec. 15,1925.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER KONOFF, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING FOR ARTIFICIAL EYES.

Application filed March 19, 1924. Serial No. 700,871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER KONOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county of New York and State ofrNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Mountings for Artificial Eyes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an adjustable mounting for artificial eyes such as are used in' the manufacture of dolls and the like, and i an object of the invention is to devise an improved means whereby the eyeballs are rendered capable of being adjusted about different pivots and whereby, except in adjustment of the eyeballs toward and away from each other the spherical center of the balls will remain unchanged.

A more detailed object is to provide an eyeball structure and means of attaching the same upon a supporting rod, which structure provides a plurality of pivot elements so designed that the eyeball may be swung with respect to the rod but without changing the position'of the spherical center of the ball, said structure also providing a clamp engagement of the ball upon the rod of a character enabling the ball to be adjusted at will longitudinally along the rod. I

A further object is to so arrange the parts of the structure that they may be of simple and inexpensive design and so that they may be easily and inexpensively assembled, and so that the necessary adjustments of the eyeballs with respect to their supporting rod for thereby bringing them into proper register with the eye openings, in a manner now well known in this art, may be very easily effected.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, willbein part obvious and in part pointed out"-in' the"coiir"se'ofth f8fiewing description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention, and

the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be'taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a pre- {ferred form of embodiment of the inven- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a dolls head illustrating the use ofcyeballs and supporting means therefor constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the plane of line IIII of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailsectional View through one 'of the eyeballs, said section being taken substantially upon the plane of IIIIII of Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is a similarly enlarged sectional view taken upon the plane of IV-IV of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings for describing in detail the structure illustrated therein the reference character L indicates a bracket which is made rigid with a part of the dolls head G and which serves as a pivotal mounting for the eyeball supporting shaft H in the usual manner, said shaft having fixed thereto a weighted lever 1 b means of which the shaft will be oscillate back and forth when the doll is moved from an upright to a reclining position.

Upon the rod H is mounted the two eyeballs AAwhich are intended to oscillate with said rod and which must therefor'at all times maintain a pro erly fitting and 00- operating relation wit the eyeball sockets 2 and 3 of the dolls head. 7.

It has been found a practical impossibility to make doll heads so that the eyeball sockets thereof are always of uniform size and position, and on this account it is required that the eyeballbe properly adjusted when being attached into the head, and in making this adjustment the eyeballs must be moved in various directions, not only longitudinally along the rod H, but also rotatably uponsaid rod and upon an axis extending transversally of the rod. In making these adjustments it is a matter of considerable desirability that once the position of the balls longitudinally of the rod has been determined this position shall not be altered when making further adjustments, and on this account it is essential that thementioned further adjustments shall be made about an axis which passes through the spherical center of the ball and which center lies in the central axial line of the rod H.

In order to accomplish this purpose the structure herein illustrated comprehends the making of the eyeball to include a hollow semi-spherical shell 4 the outer surface of which is painted, printed, or otherwise treated to appearas an eyeball. Within this shell is a clamp member 5 having a spherical outer surface portion 6 of proper shape and proportions to fit snugly to the interior spherical surface of the shell 4. This clamp member provides spaced wall parts 7 and 8 having bearing notches 9 therein for receiving the rod H and said walls being arranged so that the notches 9 thereof are disposed at opposite sides of the spherical center 10 of the shell and in such relation that when said rod is resting in said notches then the central axial line thereof will pass through the spherical center of the sphere defined by the outer surface 6 of the clamp member, and consequently through the spherical center of the shell v I In vorder to hold theshell 4 and clamp member 5 in the relation indicated a second clamp member or strut 11 is provided arranged to extend across the opposite or rear side oiv the rod and having its opposite end rtions as-12 disposed to interengage with edge parts 13 formed upon the shell.

A suitable clamp screw 14 is threaded through the strut 11 and has its inner or forward end bearing against the rod so that tightening-of said screw will tend to force the strut and the shell rearwardly and to force the rod and clamp member 5 forwardly thus at once holding the'surface 6 of the clamp member in tight frictional engagement with the inner surface of the shell and holding the structure as an entirety firmly upon the rod. i

The shell, clamp member, and strut, are all preferably formed as thin sheet metal stampings' and the ledges 13 of the shell are therefore preferably formed as bent over extensions of the material of the shell. The forwardly facing edges of these extensions which'are engaged by the end portions 12 of the strut are shaped to provide seats 15 into which the ends of the strut engage, said endsbeing suitably reduced and rounded so as to pivot in said seats, and said parts being shaped and disposed so that the'pivotal axis defined thereby will intersect the spherical center ofvthe shell. Suitable notches 16 are provided at diametrically opposite points in the shell 4 to permit passage of the rod H and said notches are made sufiiciently large to rovide for considerable movement of the she I about the pivot defined by the seats 15.

It should be pointed'out that all of the parts referred to are sufiiciently, flexible and that they are so constructed that even though the screw 14 be screwed down sufiiciently tight to hold the eyeball against any chance of unintentional movement relative to the rod yet bythe application of such. finger power as may be readily applied from within the dolls head during the time while the eyeballs are being set and adjusted the parts ma be readily movedwith respect to their di erent pivots. If the eyeballs require adjustment vto (prevent the appearance of converging or iverging sight lines this is accorrectly accomplish the appearance of wakefulness or sleep when the doll is moved from erect to reclining position, this is accomplished by rotating one or both of the eyeballs about the rod. Any adjustments intermediate those mentioned may be accompl'lshed'by moving one or both of the eyeballs simultaneously upon bothof the mentioned pivots. And all of these adjustments amount to merely rotating the eyeballs about their 5 herical centers and thus occasion no 'disp acement of the eyeballs with respect to their previously adjusted location centrally of the eyeball sockets 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An adjustable mounting for a dolls eyeball comprising parts providing a plurality of separate pivots by which the eyeball is supported and upon which the eyeball is adjustable about the spherical center of the eyeball and about axes which are at an angle to each other, and manually operable means to hold the eyeball in any position to which it is adjusted about said pivots.

2. An adjustable mounting for dolls eyeballs, comprising the usual supporting rod upon which the spherical eyeballs are longitudinally adjustably mounted, each of the eyeballs comprising a spherical shell, a clamp member arranged within said shell having a spherical outer surface portion to fit the justment of the shell about the axial center lineof the rod, a strut connected with the shell and engaging the rod to hold the shell and clamp member connected with the rod, and said strut having pivot connection with the shell to enable rotary adjustment of the shell about an axis intersecting the axial center line of the rod;

3. An adjustable mounting for dolls eyeballs, comprising the usual supporting rod upon which the spherical eyeballs are longitudinally adjustably mounted, each of the eyeballs comprising a spherical shell, a clamp member arranged within said shell having a spherical outer surface portion to fit the spherical inner surface portion of the shell and having a seat to recelve said rod to serve thereby as a pivot to enable rotary adjustment of the shell about the axial center line said strut having pivot connection with the shell to enable rotary adjustment of the shell about anaxis extending in a direction trainsversally of the axial center line of the ro 4. An adjustable mounting for dolls eye- .balls, comprising the usual sup orting rod upon whic the sgherlcal eyebal s are longitudinally adjusta ly mounted, each of the eyeballs comprising a spherical. shell, a clamp member arrangedwithin said shell having a spherical outer surface portion to fit the spherical inner surface portion of the shell and having a s ea t to, rece1ve said rod to serve thereby as a pivot to enable rotary adjustment of the shell about the axial center. line of the rod, and means'connected with the shell and engaging the rod, adapted ,to hold said clamp member clamped against the shell and to. hold said shell and clamp member connected with the rod.

:5. An adjustable mounting for dolls eyeballs, comprising the usual supporting rod upon which the s herical eyeballs are longi tudinally' adjusta ly mounted, each of the eyeballs comprising a s herical shell, a clamp member arranged withm said shell having a spherical outer surface portion to fit the herical inner surface portion of the shell and having'a seat to receive said rod to serve thereby as a ivot to enable rotary adjustment of the she I about the axial center line of the rod, a strut connected with the shell extending across the opposite side of the rod, and a clamp screwcarried by said strut ad'ustable to press against the rod and to there y hold said clamp member pressed against the shell and to hold said clamp member and shell connected with the rod.

6. An adjustable mounting for dolls eye balls comprisint ithe usual supporting rod upon which 0 spherical eyeballs aremounted, each eyeball comprising a spherical shell, arranged atthe forward side of said rod a clamp member arranged within said shell having a' seat therein which en ages against the forward side of the rod to t ereby serve as a pivot to enable-rotary adjustment of the shell about the axialcenter line of the rod, said clamp member being extended to the shell for thereby holding the shell with its axial center substantially in the axial center line of the rod, bearing seats provided by the shell above and below the rod, and a second clamp member engaging the rod from behind and having pivot parts engaging within the seats of the shell wheres by to provide pivotal connection of the shell and the rod upon an axis extending transversally of the rod.

7. An adjustable mounting for dolls eyeballs comprising the usual supporting rod upon which the eyeballs are mounted, each eyeball comprising a semi-spherical shell arranged at the forward side ofthe rod, and having rear marginal parts bent forwardly and shaped to define bearing seats above and below the rod, means arranged Within said shell pivotally engaging the rod and serving to hold the shell so that the spherical center of the shell lies substantially in the axial center line of the rod and so that an axial line extending common to said seats Substantially intersects the axial center line of the rod, and a clamp member engaging said rod from behind and having pivot parts engaging within said seats.

8. Means to adjustably connect a dolls eyeball to its carrying rod comprising a plurality of separate parts adjustable as a unit with respect to the eyeball..-to effect "adjustment of the eyeball upon the rod and adjustable with respect to each other to hold the eyeball in any position into which it is 

